Kim Boo-kyum
Prime Minister of South Korea from 2021 to 2022
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Kim Boo-kyum (Korean: 김부겸; born 21 January 1958) is a South Korean activist and politician who served as the 47th prime minister of South Korea from 2021 to 2022 under President Moon Jae-in. A member of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), he was the minister of the interior and safety from 2017 to 2019.
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Yoon Suk Yeol
Hong Nam-ki
Hong Nam-ki (acting)
Han Duck-soo
Kim Boo-kyum | |
|---|---|
김부겸 | |
Kim in 2017 | |
| 47th Prime Minister of South Korea | |
| In office 15 May 2021 – 11 May 2022 | |
| President | Moon Jae-in Yoon Suk Yeol |
| Deputy | Yoo Eun-hae Hong Nam-ki |
| Preceded by | Chung Sye-kyun Hong Nam-ki (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Choo Kyung-ho (acting) Han Duck-soo |
| Minister of the Interior and Safety | |
| In office 16 June 2017 – 6 April 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Lee Nak-yeon |
| Preceded by | Hong Yoon-shik |
| Succeeded by | Chin Young
|
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office 30 May 2000 – 29 May 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Lew Seon-ho |
| Succeeded by | Lee Hack-young |
| Constituency | Gunpo (Gyeonggi)
|
| In office 30 May 2016 – 29 May 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Lee Hahn-koo |
| Succeeded by | Joo Ho-young |
| Constituency | Suseong A (Daegu)
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 January 1958 Sangju, South Korea |
| Party | Democratic (since 2015) |
Other political affiliations | See list
|
| Education | Seoul National University (BA) Yonsei University (MPA) |
| Occupation | Activist, politician |
| Signature |  |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 김부겸 |
| Hanja | 金富謙 |
| RR | Gim Bugyeom |
| MR | Kim Pugyŏm |
Early life and education
Kim Boo-kyum was born on 21 January 1958 in Sangju, North Gyeongsang.[1] He is the eldest of the one son and three daughters of Kim Young-ryong and Cha Sook-hui.[1] His father, Kim Young-ryong, was just 19 years old when Kim Boo-kyum was born.[2]
Kim was admitted to study political science at Seoul National University in 1976,[3] but was expelled for taking part in protests against the Yushin Constitution in 1977, before being readmitted and expelled again for violating martial law in 1980. He was later reinstated a second time, and received his degree in 1987.[4]
Political career
Early political career
Kim joined politics as one of the founders of the centre-left Hankyoreh Democratic Party (HDP) in 1988.[5] He ran as the HDP candidate for Dongjak 1st constituency in the 1988 election[6][7] but lost.[8] No candidates were elected, except Park Hyung-oh that contested for Shinan,[9] who immediately joined the Peace Democratic Party (PDP) due to the pre-agreement.[10] The HDP was later de-registered.[11]
Following the de-registration of the HDP, Kim joined the Democratic Party that was established by Kim Dae-jung in 1991. He had an intention to run in the 1992 election, but could not become a candidate.[8] He served as the Deputy Spokesperson of the party, however, was arrested on 18 November after it was revealed that Kim received 5,000,000 won (£3,240) from a North Korean spy named Lee Seon-shil during the 1988 election.[6][7] According to Park Jie-won, the then Senior Deputy Spokesperson, Kim borrowed the money from Lee through his mother-in-law, but paid it back after the election.[6] He also indicated that Kim was not related to his party in 1988; he was also told that Kim did not even know that Lee was a spy.[6][7]
National Assembly (2000–2012, 2016–2020)
Kim was the member of the National Assembly for Gunpo from 2000 to 2012, first for the Grand National Party (GNP) and then, from 2003,[12] the liberal Uri Party and its successors.
In the 2016 parliamentary election in Suseong 1st constituency, Kim defeated his Saenuri opponent Kim Moon-soo in a 62.5 percent landslide, marking the first time a member of a liberal party had been elected in that city since 1985.[13]
Prime Minister (2021–2022)
 | |
| Premiership of Kim Boo-kyum May 14, 2021 – May 11, 2022 | |
| Cabinet | Full list |
|---|---|
| Party | Democratic |
| Seat | Sejong City |
 | |
Nomination
Since prime minister Chung Sye-kyun had the intention to run for the 2022 presidential election, he planned to resign at an unknown date.[14] Several newspapers reported that he would step down after the by-elections on 7 April 2021.[15][16] Despite the knowledge that President Moon Jae-in was reported to prefer a female prime minister, Kim was considered one of the potential candidates for the position.[15][16]
On 15 April, Chung officially submitted his resignation to Moon Jae-in,[17] and it was accepted the next day.[18] The same day, Kim was nominated the new Prime Minister, succeeding Chung.[19] As he was categorised as a "minority" of the Democratic Party, his nomination was regarded as a step to renovate the party that faced a serious defeat in the 2021 by-elections.[20]
On 13 May, 168 out of 176 MPs voted in favour of the appointment of Kim as the Prime Minister.[21][22] The next day, he was sworn in as Prime Minister at the Central Government Complex in Seoul.[23][24]
In the 2016 parliamentary election in Suseong 1st constituency, Kim defeated his Saenuri opponent Kim Moon-soo in a 62.5 percent landslide, marking the first time a member of a liberal party had been elected in that city since 1985.[13]
Daegu mayoral campaigns
Kim unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of Daegu in the 2014 local elections and received 40 percent of the vote, a number seen at the time as unusually large in the conservative stronghold. After his election loss, he hoped to "overcome the barrier of regionalism".[25]
In the 2026 South Korean local elections, Kim ran for Mayor of Daegu again. He was endorsed by former mayor Hong Joon-pyo of the People Power Party.[26] Though most pre-election polls had shown the race within a razor-thin margin, People Power Party nominee Choo Kyung-ho ultimately secured 53.92 percent of the vote against Kim's 45.05 percent.[27][28]
Political positions
Kim is considered a centrist.[29] As a member of the Grand National Party he pressed for reform in the party,[30] and when he defected from the party in 2003 he cited the need "to unify the nation ... and to root out regionalism".[31] As a member of the Supreme Council of the Democratic United Party in 2012 he defended centrist members of the party from deselection.[32] Commentators named Kim as a potential candidate in the 2017 presidential elections,[25][33] although he ultimately did not run.
Personal life
Election results
General elections
| Year | Elections | Constituency | Political party | Votes (%) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 13th National Assembly General Election | Dongjak A (Seoul) | HDP | 3,088 (3.25%) | Defeated |
| 1996 | 15th National Assembly General Election | Gwacheon-Uiwang (Gyeonggi) | UDP | 18,730 (18.02%) | Defeated |
| 2000 | 16th National Assembly General Election | Gunpo (Gyeonggi) | GNP | 46,330 (45.54%) | Won |
| 2004 | 17th National Assembly General Election | Gunpo (Gyeonggi) | Uri | 61,419 (49.56%) | Won |
| 2008 | 18th National Assembly General Election | Gunpo (Gyeonggi) | UDP | 49,638 (50.82%) | Won |
| 2012 | 19th National Assembly General Election | Suseong A (Daegu) | DUP | 46,413 (40.42%) | Defeated |
| 2016 | 20th National Assembly General Election | Suseong A (Daegu) | Democratic | 84,911 (62.30%) | Won |
| 2020 | 21st National Assembly General Election | Suseong A (Daegu) | Democratic | 60,462 (39.29%) | Defeated |
Local elections
Mayor of Daegu
| Year | Elections | Constituency | Political party | Votes (%) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 6th Iocal Election | Daegu (Mayoral Elections) | NPAD | 418,891 (40.33%) | Defeated |
| 2026 | 9th Iocal Election | Daegu (Mayoral Elections) | Democratic | 586,927 (45.05%) | Defeated |
